From Concept through Completion

Tips For Harvesting Your Organically Grown Produce

Does your neighbor’s garden put yours to shame? It may feel as if your neighbor is performing some kind of magic to make their yard look so good. Truth be told, no such secret exists. Creating an amazing garden will take a little work and knowledge. Read this article for the gardening advice that you need on your quest.

Do not improperly lay your new sod. Make sure you prepare your soil before you lay any sod down. Do some weeding if necessary, then break the soil until it is no longer packed. Flatten your soil and make it slightly compact. Afterward, you want to make sure the soil is moistened. When laying down sod, create staggered rows with offset joints. Sod should be firm and have an even, flat surface without gaps. The sod needs to be watered daily for two weeks, by which time it will be rooted and ready to walk on.

Before actually putting plants into your garden, check the type and compostion of your soil. A soil analysis is inexpensive and can be used to figure out which nutrients should be added to provide a healthy garden environment. A lot of cooperative extension offices can provide this service to you and it is worth knowing what you need to do in order to avoid ruining your plants.

Autumn not only means colder weather but new vegetables to plant. This year, instead of using your regular clay pots to plant your kale and lettuce, use a pumpkin as the container instead! Slice a hole around the stem, and pull the pumpkin top out. Then remove the guts and use Wilt-Pruf to cover the insides and prevent rot. When this is finished, you are now ready to plant.

Both cat grass and wheat grass are good for giving your errant feline pause. Alternatively, you can try putting mothballs, citrus peel or anything else with an odor that cats find distasteful in the soil surrounding the plants.

It is possible to use natural materials as well as other plants to help keep pests away from your garden. Slugs can be kept at bay with a patch of marigolds or pungent vegetables. Insects also avoid shrubs and trees that are mulched with wood ash. Using these methods eliminates your need of chemical pesticides.

If you’re going to grow peas, start them indoors before putting them in the ground outside. Install your plants inside and wait for the seeds to germinate. Seeds grown indoors are much more resistant to diseases and damage done by pests. Take the seedlings outdoors once they look strong enough.

During the hottest hours of each day, your vegetables become too soft, and even gentle harvesting will cause damage and bruising. Make sure to chop the vegetables off the vine, but be careful not to twist them. Twisting can actually damage the plant.

It’s pretty easy to see that these tips don’t require too much effort to follow. You just have to glean the knowledge and implement what you’ve learned. Pay close attention to your plants and how they react to your methods. If one thing fails, try another technique. While it may take time, with patience your beautiful garden will be admired by the whole neighborhood.